Treat yourself at Christmas time and invest in driving lessons. What could be more worthwhile than learning to drive and allowing yourself the freedom to travel in your own vehicle (which will be nice and warm in these winter months). We provide a flexible service and cater for your individual needs. We provide a door-to-door service and have a huge number of instructors and vehicles available.

Maybe it is your New Year’s resolution to take up driving lessons, in which case you can still purchase gift vouchers right throughout the year.

If you want to bring a smile to the faces of friends and family why not purchase driving lessons as a Christmas present. You still have until 21st December to purchase your Christmas vouchers.

If we have a snowy Christmas, lessons can still take place. Driving in the snow for the slightly more advanced learner is invaluable experience. Even those that hold a full licence may want to take a lesson or two in the snow to prepare themselves for the harsh weather.

Emily Smith of Britannia Driving School said: “Whatever the weather remember to drive safely and check travel conditions before setting off on any journey.”

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DRINK and drug drivers in Dorset are to be targeted by Police in a Christmas campaign.

During the Christmas campaign there will be increased traffic patrols, as well as road-side checks, and every driver who is involved in a collision during the period will be breath tested – irrespective of whether they are suspected of drink driving or not.

Those caught will then face a minimum 12-month driving ban, a criminal record, up to six months in prison and a fine of up to £5,000.

The Force’s annual Christmas drink and drug driving campaign has already begun and will run until New Year’s Day.

Chief Inspector Bob Nichols, Head of Dorset Police’s Traffic Unit, said:

“During the festive season some people may be tempted to drink and drive, but if they do, the consequences could be devastating.

“Not only do drink drivers risk their own lives, they also risk the lives of innocent road users.

“My advice to drivers is simple – don’t get behind the wheel after drinking any alcohol at all, as research has shown that even one drink can impair the ability to drive.

“The legal consequences of being caught drink driving are extensive. However, drink drivers may face even further consequences as they could lose their job or destroy a relationship and live with the stigma of being a convicted drink driver.

Katie Price has made headlines again with her driving techniques.

Katie has received an additional three points on her licence for speeding, which takes her to a total of 13 points meaning she has been disqualified.

She claimed that when she was caught speeding last December she was being chased by paparazzi. She did not attend court but accepts responsibility for her actions.

She has now been disqualified for six months and has been ordered to pay £1000 in fines.

A full licence holder is allowed up to 12 points before being disqualified, which allows most drivers two or three mistakes which we are all capable of making before being penalised.

Emily Smith of Britannia Driving School said: “So if you continue to cheat the law by speeding or driving irresponsibly then you will have to pay the consequences.”

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Where did cars get their names from? Many inventors used their surname to front the product; Henry Ford and Soichiro Honda are prime examples.

Henry Ford was born in 1863 and despite being born in America his father was of Irish descent. Ford failed with his early business, in the early 1900’s Ford’s company was dissolved due to the low quality, high priced vehicles. This left him broke and it wasn’t for many years later that he founded the successful Ford Motor Company.

Ford has produced some amazing vehicles with the Ford Focus and Ford Fiesta being top sellers in the UK last year.

Soichiro Honda didn’t have much luck the first time round either, with a series of failures. Honda was born in Japan in 1906 and had always had a keen interest in automobiles, applying for a job with Toyota. Toyota turned him down, leaving him without a job for a number of years, yet this misfortune lead him to build his own business which in turn is very successful.

Today Honda has a range of cars, with the Honda Jazz reaching the top 10 cars in 2009.

Yet Ford was not the first to design and build an automobile, this was a man named Karl Benz. Benz a German engineer was born in 1844. He was the first person to market his vehicle and they went on sale in late 1888.

Holly Harper of Britannia Driving School said: “Despite these inventors initial failures their inventions are very much part of modern society today.”

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Studies in America have shown that there may be links between driving and skin cancer particularly of the face.

They have found that more patients referred to the skin cancer clinic have cancer in the left side of their body and face. It is thought that as they have left-hand drives in America, the left side of their body is exposed more to the sun, especially if they have the window down or their arm resting on the car door. Yet UVA rays penetrate though most materials, you only need to look at a book near a window and see how the colour fades.

UVA and UVB rays should not just be protected by wearing sun cream on sunny days but in all weather conditions. Cloudy or foggy days can often be deceiving as the sun’s rays will still continue to burn through and you may not associate a cloudy day with slapping on sun cream.

Protecting your skin from the sun is not just to help prevent skin cancer but also to offer protection against aging and winkles. Much like the paint on a car, if it is not looked after and protected, after a number of years it will not look its best.

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Local authorities outside London want the right to increase their car parking fines from £70 to £120, to match those issued in the capital, the Telegraph has reported.

The British Parking Association (BPA) is backing a campaign led by local authorities, proposing that current fines are not enough of a deterrent to motorists committing parking offences.

BPA claims in some areas the cost of a parking fine is only slightly more than the cost of parking for the day.

Individual local authorities control car parking charges throughout the country, however outside London the level of fine they can impose on motorists who break the rules is set by the government.

In some areas the number of parking penalties issued has risen by up to 700 per cent since councils took over the control of parking charges.

There are a number of different vehicles using our roads, it is not just car drivers. Therefore it is important to be aware of other road users and to drive accordingly.

There seems to be a hierarchy of vehicles on the roads, yet we are all vulnerable no matter what our size and we must try to anticipate what others drivers will do next.

Large vehicles such as coaches, lorries and buses need to be approached differently to other road users. It is important as a smaller vehicle not to be in their blind spot, the general rule is it you can’t see their mirrors, they probably can’t see you. Larger vehicles will need more room to manoeuvre, so make sure you give them plenty of room.

When stopping on a hill, make sure you allow plenty of room between you and the vehicle in front, any vehicle (however, larger vehicles can cause considerably more damage) can roll backwards when finding the biting point.

Motorcyclists and cyclists must take extra precautions in order to prevent being in an accident. Wearing reflective clothing, a helmet and ensuring the bike has headlights will make them more visible to other road users. Likewise other motorists should ensure they use their mirrors and check for bikes especially when changing lanes as motorcyclists will generally ride a little to the side of the lane as opposed to the middle.

Farm equipment, predominantly tractors – we all know the frustration of being stuck behind one of these. Yet it is important to slow down on approach as you will reach them much quicker than other vehicles. You are allowed to overtake on the condition that the road is clear and it is safe to do so.

What about other car drivers, simple, use your common sense and try to be courteous.

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Changing your driving habits according to road and weather conditions is something most people don’t plan ahead for. Now that winter has set in drivers must ensure that they are prepared for the harsh weather conditions and problems or accidents that could occur with your vehicle.

There are a number of simple rules to remember before you set of on any journey long or short:

Check the weather and traffic report. You can then ensure you leave yourself enough time and that you have enough fuel to get you from A to B.

Ensure you are well prepared for a breakdown or accident. You should always carry an emergency kit which includes food and water, a warm blanket, a torch and a first aid kit. In the event that you do break down or have an accident, do not sit in the vehicle, put your hazard lights on and face oncoming traffic.

It may seem obvious but you must ensure that your car is in good working order. Points and fines can be given if tyres are found with tread depth below the legal limit, ensure your tyres are at their best. Your seatbelts should not be torn and you need to remember to actually wear your seatbelt, you can incur on-the-spot fines of up to £60.

It is important to check that all your lights are working, particularly your fog lights. Equally that your window wipers are in good working order, faulty window wipers will reduce visibility and could potentially lead to an accident.

Lights are not just for night time use. If it is foggy or the road has reduced visibility put your lights on.

Lastly slow down. Ice on the roads will mean breaking will take longer, keep a bigger gap than normal between you and the car in front. Drive slower than the speed limit in bad weather conditions. Speed limits do not mean you must drive at that speed, if travelling at that speed becomes dangerous, slow down!

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GUANGZHOU – A rule to keep nearly half of this southern city’s private vehicles off the streets, part of traffic control measures to help improve air quality and ease traffic congestion during the Asian Games, took effect on Monday.

The new measure caused a huge increase in the number of people taking public transportation.

Under the rule – an experience learned from the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 – vehicles will be banned from city streets from 7 am to 8 pm on alternate days from Nov 1 to 29 and Dec 5 to 21, depending on whether their licence plates end in an even or an odd number.

The 45-day control will not apply to public transport and games-related vehicles, sources with the local traffic police authority said. The number of licensed vehicles in Guangzhou rose from 682,000 in 2004 to more than 1.3 million in 2009, official figures show. Traffic police estimated that up to 40 percent of vehicles will be off the roads during the Asian Games, scheduled to open on Nov 12.

As part of initiatives to benefit from the Asian Games, the local government on Monday also started to offer free public transit for locals to help with commutes.

However, the even-odd rule, together with free rides on buses, subways and ferries, has caused a huge surge in public transportation, especially in subways, in this city of 14 million people.

Temporary traffic controls were introduced in at least eight subway stations during peak time on Monday due to the huge passenger flow, sources with the local metro company said.

London is renowned for its black cabs and they have been around for years. Queuing for a taxi can be irritating especially in the London area. So what about taking a cab to your wedding?

More and more people are choosing to hire taxis to transport them to their wedding venue, yet these taxis come with a difference. Wedding Taxi’s supply white taxis decorated and kept immaculate inside, all provided with a courteous and patient driver.

Wedding Taxi’s hope that their vehicles provide a subtle backdrop in photos and give the bride and groom a unique touch to their day overall.

The taxi business seems to be growing with taxi treasure hunts available. They are thought to be good for team building, to help with organisational skills and time management skills, or simply for a fun day out.

You are given a licensed taxi driver to take you on your travels and you are given routes to navigate round, collect clues and bonus points and to take pictures at certain locations.So we may see London cabs as a means to get from A to B and the queues and cost of the fare a misery, but taxis now bring fun and humour to our day.

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